By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 15 May: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today claimed that the “Pirul (Pine Needles) Laao, Paisa Le Jaao” scheme started by the government is benefitting the local villagers living in the hills. Sharing this on his X (formerly Twitter) account, the CM sought to remind that pine needles are a major cause of forest fires in the state, particularly in the hills. To ensure timely removal of fallen pine needles, the government had launched a campaign asking the local villagers to collect these from the forests and then sell them at the designated collection centres at the rate of Rs 50 per kilogram.
The CM claimed that a large number of villagers are collecting Pirul and selling it to the government at the rate of Rs 50 per kg and that the impact of the same is also visible, the incidents of the forest fires have reduced considerably in the hills as a result of this campaign, besides the fact that the villagers living near the forests are also getting additional income.
Meanwhile, in response to the CM’s post, a number of local people wanted to know where the collection centres are located. Some also wanted to know who would pay the transportation charges in case the collection centres are some distance away. Probably, a better awareness campaign and setting up of more collection centres is needed in this regard.
In addition, some fresh cases of forest fires were reported Gumain and Gangotri forest areas. NDRF and the Forest teams were sent to extinguish the fires.
